Tuesday, 28 April 2009

I have the following rules, which I have stolen bits from Mr Ferguson and others.

To start with only allowed to play freerolls or $1+10c sit and goes, try to play on site with rakeback deal, and account for rakeback as additional income added to bankroll.

Not allowed to move up levels until next level threshold broken and not allowed to fall below 50% between levels. i.e. to move to $2.25 level, must have at least $157.50, and once moved up level bankroll cannot fall below $103.75, if it does move back down level.

Set levels as follows:

Level Bankroll

$1+10c------------ $50+

$2+25c ------------ $157.50

$5+50 ------------ $357.50

$10+$1 ----------- $715.00

Also if playing cash games, not allowed to buy in for more than 5% of bankroll and must leave table if the amount at table is between 10-15% of bankroll i.e. once you have double up, leave table and rebuy back in elsewhere at 5% or less of bankroll.

I started off very well and my ROI was through the roof, but it has settled down to a bit of a grind and my original $50 now stands at the following after 6 weeks.

Bankroll $425.53

Profit $375.53

Games/Sessions played: 583

ROI: 24%

To give you an example of how important the rakeback was to this exercise, at the end of 4 weeks my bankroll stood at $187 and I was paid $29 in rakback from that months play, increasing my bankroll by a further 15%. Obviously as I move up levels the rakeback should increase exponentially.

I wonder if I can do a "Ferguson" and get it up to $10,000? Only time will tell. I'll keep you updated.

Friday, 24 April 2009

Ok the big day had arrived, and I made my way to Manchester for the GUKPT Leg 4 Main Event. It promised to be a reasonable pot and with 123 runners on day 1a, which historically has less runners than Day 1b, the prize pool was already sitting in excess of $350k, and was expected to approach $500k, with many registrations still to be taken for Day 1b.

I sat at my table and surveyed the scene. Seat 1 Unknown, Seat 2 Tony Caygill, a player from up my way, solid enough player, Seat 3 Caroline Cove, a lovely girl but she can talk for England, note to self to use i-pod should the talking get too much, Seat 4 Jeff Kimber, winner of World Heads up champs in 2007 and Tournament earnings in excess of $1m, beware, Seat 5 Simon Wolf Unknown, Seat 6 Chris Brammer Unkown, Seat 7 George McDonald fellow Scot and solid player, Seat 8 Maurice McCarthy Unkown, Seat 9 Me. Not too bad a table and fairly happy with it. Early on Brammer and McDonald emerge as the table aggressors and I am just looking to catch them with a big hand. I get a few small pairs but each time flop comes AKQ so have to let them go. Wolf knocks out McCarthy early on after seeing a 7 4 2 flop Wolf with 777 and McCarthy with underset 222, sicko.

Still early I get AQ in early pos and decide to limp in, folds to Jeff Kimber in BB who raises up to 150 (Blinds 25/50) both Wolf and Brammer call, so i decide to see a flop. The flop comes 2sQh4s, wolf checks, brammer raises to 300, this could be the hand i was looking for to get some chips, but with such a draw dangerous board i decide to see a turn card and call, Kimber calls, I know i am ahead of them both, then Wolf bangs in a reraise to 1400. Now I dont have a clue where I am and decide to let it go. Next level I get 10 10 and put in a raise Caroline calls from button. Flop comes an uninviting 2JQ, i bet she flats, I have her on J, Turn A. I decide she doesnt like this and look to check raise, but she checks behind, river is J. I put out a stopper bet which she quickly reraises, confirming my J theory, I let it go.

Table gets split and i get moved briefly onto another table, only hand of note, guy raises, I get JJ on button and reraise, he reluctantly folds showing AQ.

This table gets split and i get moved again. New table players of note Seat 3 James browning, many cashes and Poker broadcasting groundbreaker having hosted PNL in UK, Seat 5 Me, Seat 6 Andreas Hoivold, Former EPT winner and $1.5m+ in tournament winnings, Seat 8 Tim Flanders, $300k+ tournament winnings, Seat 9 Lynne Beaumont, one of leading UK Women players with $100k+ winnings. This table has a much better feel to it, and there are some big pots being played out. Hoivold knocks out an opponent after getting it in preflop with AK vs KK, Andreas hits A on river to knock out opponent, maybe thats how you win EPT titles?! No major hands of note until nearly end of level 3, when I get KK, I put in a raise to 525 and get 2 callers, Tim Flanders on button and the BB. First card out is Ac, and having put Tim on an A decide i am finished with hand, except the next 2 cards are 9c 5c and I have Kc. Anyway I check, Tim bets i call, we both check blank on turn, and river comes another A, maybe I was wrong and he didnt have A after all, so I bet and he flat calls with AK. 3 cards in deck and he hits 2 of them, sigh. This leaves me pretty short and I limp my way to the dinner break with only 1875 in chips. With blinds 150/300, I know i need to pick up a hand pretty quick after the break. I let one set of blinds pass me and next round it folds to me in SB, I look at first card which is an A and push, Hoivold in BB, says I dont need to look and calls. I tell him i only saw A so he turns over his first card to show Ad and 2nd card 9d, jeez i think, but my 2nd card is K!!! To the flop which comes a very scary 10d8s7d, but the turn and river are blank and i double up. I steal a couple of blinds and manage to get a push through with 77 and get my stack back up to above 4k. I know one double up and I am back in the race. Unfortunately it was not to be, as I find JJ in the cutoff, I put in a big raise only for the BB to wake up with KK, and with no help from the board I hit the rail.

So many thanks to my backers, I know i didnt manage a return on this occasion, but with a bit better luck, i.e. KK holding against AK, things could have been so so different, but then thats poker.